Whistles and Pyreflies
by TragicBlackButterfly
Summary: It's been three years since Rikku had to watch Yuna send Auron. She hid her feelings about him, and now she's ready to let them out in the only way she knows how. Aurikku, of course.


**A/N: Yay, this is my first AuRikku fic!! I feel so pleased!! *happy dance* This is supposed to be a oneshot, but it kinda ended up longer than I thought it would be, so…yeah. Okay, I don't own Rikku or Auron or any other Final Fantasy character featured in this fic. Reviews are welcome. Always. 3 Much love, and I hope you enjoy!!**

**Whistles and Pyreflies**

My boots crunched into the soft grass as I approached the small water source in Macalania Woods. I felt stupid—really stupid. Even so, as stupid as I felt, I kept my head held high in a dignified manner.

_The way he always did._

_No, Rikku!! Stop it!! _I blinked my eyes rapidly to halt the tears in their tracks. Macalania would disappear soon. My courage couldn't falter. It was now or never.

--

"Why do you want dropped off in Macalania?" Paine asked in her usual, cool voice. "Yuna's expecting us in Besaid soon."

I waved my hand nonchalantly. Everyone always seemed to think that I was a danger to Spira without someone to supervise me. Here I was, a full-blown adult, and they still treated me like a five year old!!

_It's because you act like a five year old…_

"I'll be fine," I lied smoothly with a grin on my face. "I've just got some unfinished business, ya' know? Gotta go take care of it." I put my gloved fists on my hips in a stance of defiance. "I never bugged you when you wanted some privacy!! Of course, you were kinda scary and unapproachable, but that's not the point!!"

"Okay, I got it," Paine interrupted my rant before I get to blackmail her with the sphere I found under her pillow of Baralai (I really wanted to blackmail her with that, too). "You want to be alone. So go, be alone. Radio the Celsius when you want to be picked up.

--

I sat down in the grass and pulled my legs up against my chest. Macalania was quiet—so quiet!! It was extremely unnerving. How Yunie did this day after day was beyond me.

_Shoopuf, I feel like an idiot!!_

I swallowed, my green eyes dancing over the calm surface of the water. When I released my breath, the sound of my exhale lingered in the air. Nobody else was here. Nobody would be listening.

But I wanted _him_ to be listening…

I hummed the Hymn of the Fayth before I began. It calmed me down a little bit and renewed my courage. Yevon knew I needed my courage to do this…

"So, um…Yunie used to come here when she thought of Tidus. I guess she had a good reason, and I don't, but this is the only place I know to come to." I paused, listening to the silent response of the woods.

"She'd come here and whistle for Tidus. That was their thing, ya' know. Whistling. She used to whistle in Luca too, and on the beach in Besaid. She'd whistle for him more when she came here. She'd tell me 'n' Paine to leave her alone for a couple minutes—Paine's our partner in sphere hunting, by the way. We're notorious!! _We're_ the Gullwings!! We saved Spira again!! Are you proud of us? Proud of…me?"

Silence again. It was driving me crazy. This was why Yunie had the strength to fight her aeons, to tell Shuyin Lenne's feelings. This was why she was stronger than me.

"Tidus came back, ya' know. After we fought Shuyin, Tidus came back. Yunie was so happy!! I haven't seen her smile like that before." I grinned at the lake. "I was happy, too…"

I shoved the heels of my boots into the grass, uprooting it. The forest wouldn't mind. After all, it would be vanishing soon. A little overturned grass wouldn't make any difference.

"When…when I saw Tidus, I…I thought maybe you…maybe you would…" _No!! Don't start doing that to yourself!!_ I swallowed again, wringing my fists together against my bare knees. I shut my eyes for a moment, regaining myself before I could bear to continue. This was harder than I thought it was going to be.

"There's a guy, ya' know. His name's Gippal. He runs the Machine Faction at Djose Temple. We grew up together. We dated a little, too. A long time ago. What do you think about that, eh? Gippal. _Flirting_. With _me._"

The woods were ever silent. _Quiet_. Quiet, quiet, quiet—it's all I was going to get!! I irritably rubbed my legs with my hands. I was going to explode. I was going to explode, and the stupid forest didn't care one bit.

"Was it the whistling?" I asked to no one in particular, my voice raising. "Did Tidus come back because Yunie cared for him enough? Because Yunie kept whistling for him? Is that why, huh? Is it!!??"

I cried out in exasperation. I couldn't take the silence anymore. I snatched a nearby rock and threw it at the lake. It skipped across the shimmering water, only making gentle lapping noises. I waited, listening as the sounds of the lapping water faded away into the silence once more.

It wasn't enough.

"You…you…" I still had the strange feeling that I was going to explode. Angry, I picked up as many rocks as I could carry in one hand and got to my feet. "_YOU JERK!!_" I screamed at the empty water. I threw the rocks I was carrying as hard as I could. These ones didn't skip over the water like the others; they merely dropped to the bottom.

"You left!! You just disappeared!! Who the hell just disappears like that, huh? You stupid old man!! I hate you!! Why did you leave me!!??" The infuriating tears came again, the same way they always did when I thought of him—thought of his voice, his smell, the taste of his lips on mine in a chaste kiss. I had been just a kid on that pilgrimage, but I knew from the moment he forced me to look at him that I loved him. And he loved me. He never said it, but I knew. How could I not know? How could I not…not….

Then, he left. Vanished. Poof—in a cloud of pyreflies.

Without thinking, I raised my hand to my lips. I whistled as loudly as I could, which wasn't very loud. Yunie was much better at this than I was. I whistled again, and that one had more volume. I would've kept whistling until my throat hurt, too.

"Rikku…"

I jumped, startled. I spun around, narrowing my wet eyes at my fellow Gullwings. Whatever happened to privacy? Paine's face showed pity. She didn't get it. She would never get it. Yunie's face, however, showed the emotion that I needed to see—understanding.

I bounced for a moment on the balls of my feet. I couldn't take it anymore. The tears overflowed from my stinging eyes, and I threw myself into Yunie's opened arms. She held me as I cried, my whole body wracking with painful, broken sobs.

"How did you do it?!" I demanded in a wail. "How did you come here all the time and whistle for him??!!"

"It was hard," Yunie whispered to me soothingly. "I had to convince myself that if he had any way of getting back to me, he would. It was difficult for awhile, but I knew I had to keep smiling. Life would leave me behind if I didn't. I had to keep smiling."

"Yeah, but you're stronger than me. I've pushed him outta my head for as long as I think I can. It's been three years. I'm starting to run out of smiles…" I moved a hand up to brush at the tears coming down my cheeks, but they just kept coming.

"You? Run out of smile?" Paine chuckled humorlessly. "I figured the Calm would be over before you ran out of smiles."

I looked at her abruptly. I hated to admit how right she was. I held the Gullwings together. Hell, I practically _made_ the Gullwings. I had to find the will to keep smiling. People were counting on me.

Still….how many nights would I find myself dreaming about his calm, hard face and a gaze that was only gentle for me?

--

It was dark out. Everyone else had gone to bed. All of Besaid was quiet.

Stupid quiet. It was following me now, taunting me with its ways.

I slipped out of the small hut undetected. Yunie and Paine thought I was going to be okay. I didn't need them thinking that I wasn't. In a way, I wished they hadn't found me in Macalania. Yelling at the silent abyss was a little refreshing. _Maybe I should have breakdowns more often…_

Of course, I could just yell at the ocean. That worked, too. Macalania held significance, though. The ocean was just the ocean. It was still better than nothing.

I sat in the sand, staring at the salt water. It wasn't quiet here, and I liked that. A lot. The water here _lapped_. Lapping was good. That was more than Macalania had ever given me. _Take THAT, vanishing woods!!_

I didn't want to talk anymore. What more was there to say? I miss you, I love you, please come back to me?

No, I needed to do something.

I hopped back onto my feet, spinning away from the water. I scratched my chin, eyes skimming around for something to do. There had to be something—anything!!!—that could hold my attention. The smallest thing used to entertain me…

Aha!! Shinra's Commsphere!! Grinning wildly, I skipped lightly over to it. The stupid thing had been offline since it was placed. I smirked. "We'll see what Shinra says after I fix this stilly Commsphere of his!!" I knelt down in front of it, putting all my weight on my toes.

_Yeah, this is nice….fixing the Commsphere for Shinra…listening to the waves….What more do I really want? What more do I really need?_

_Him. _

I groaned a little. "Stop it, Rikku!! He's gone!! Get over it!!" I scolded myself angrily. I stared down at the Commsphere as I tried to rewire it. "That's the goof think about Gippal, ya' know? He's not dead. Yeah, sure, he's not old either…That's another perk…"

I heard a splash of water behind me, but I didn't bother to look back. I bit into my lower lip. I almost had it….The Commsphere would be up and running in a few seconds if only I could just—

"Owie!!" A spark shot out of the Commsphere, stinging my fingers with electricity. "Oooh!!! You stupid piece of junk!!" I growled at it furiously as I shook my hand through the air, wishing the stinging would stop. There were reasons I hated lightening before, and this was one of them!! I widened my eyes as I began to lose my balance.

"Whoa!! Wait!!" I flailed my arms wildly. I tried to stay on my toes. That didn't work out too well. I felt myself falling backwards, and I cried out. I slammed my eyes shut, prepared to hit the sand.

It never came. Instead, I fell back on two, strong arms. _Oh, no!! I've been found!! _I sighed in resignation. Alone time was something that I was not privileged to have. I opened my eyes, prepared to pilfer my savior's pockets for disturbing me in my falling. When I caught sight of him, all signs of life in my body halted for a split second.

He looked the same. His glasses were in place, covering up the scar His left arm hung out of his long, red jacket as it always did when he fought in battle; this time, it was being used to hold me up off the ground.

"Holy shoopuf!!" I jumped out of his arms. Once I was back on my feet, I backed a little bit away from him, taking him in with my eyes. He stared back at me the way he always did, his good eye filled with mixed emotions of curiosity and frustration.

"'Holy shoopuf?'" Auron quoted, an eyebrow raised in inquiry. I recognized that expression too. I _always_ got that look from him. "That's one I haven't heard before." He sounded the same—voice gruff, tone gentle and serious.

I stared at him, my eyes misting over with tears. This couldn't be happening. "Ugh, I'm dreaming again!!" I balled my fists up and covered my eyes with them. "Wake up, Rikku, wake up!!" I wailed desperately. "I can't do this again!! _Fyga ib!!_"

"Rikku." He touched my arms. He was touching me again. I never got to touch him in my dreams. What was this, some kind of torture? _This is what I get for screaming at fading woods!! This is about the grass, isn't it??!!_ "Rikku, please look at me." That was a change, though. The Auron in my dreams didn't talk so seriously.

"No!!" I objected firmly. "The moment I let myself get comfortable, I'll wake up!! Well, not this time, buddy!!"

"Rikku, you aren't sleeping. Please, look up at me."

"Of _course_ you'd say that!! You just want to be cruel!! You stupid dream!! I hate you!! I wish you'd just go away!!" Tears flooded from my eyes, streaming down my cheeks in long rivers. I tried to wipe them away, but they wouldn't stop again.

"Rikku, I'm not a dream," said Auron. He caught my wrists in his strong hands and pinned them down to my sides. I shut my eyes tightly, unable to look at him. "I'm here, Rikku. I'm not a dream. Will you look at me?" He was getting exasperated. I could hear it in his tone and feel it in his tensed muscles.

I couldn't refuse him. I never could. Timidly, I opened one eye to look at him. "What do you want?"

"What does this Gippal guy have that I don't?" he asked lightly, trying to make himself seem less concerned about his question.

I blinked, opening both eyes now. This was a typical guy move. My dreams had never been so realistic before. I swallowed, blinking back more tears. "A pulse?"

"Is that it?" Auron asked sternly. I almost laughed. He seemed…_jealous._

"Yep," I said thickly, my voice still shaking from the tears that continued to roll down my cheeks. "As far as I know, that's it." Why did Dream Auron need to know this? I didn't understand.

Auron nodded slightly. " I see…"

"It's your fault!!" I snapped at him lividly, angry now. "You left!! You left me here all alone!! I'm not strong enough, Auron!! I'm not!! I need you, and you don't care!!"

He frowned at me. "Rikku—"

"No, it's my turn to talk!! You walked away. You let Yunie dance for you. You didn't even ask me about my opinion!! You didn't ask if I wanted you to stay!!" I shook my head bitterly, looking down again. "Now I only see you in my dreams. No, I don't love Gippal. I love you!!"

He was silent for a moment. Suddenly, I wished I was back in Macalania and not in Besaid dreaming about him. It was easier. I could cry and not feel like a five year old again, because he wouldn't be there to watch me cry.

"I love you too, Rikku. I'm not leaving you again," he whispered gently. Yeah, Macalania was definitely better. Sure, the ocean made noise, but I was alone there. No silly dream to say empty words to me.

"You'll go away when I wake up," I said glumly.

"No, I won't," he argued, his voice strained with frustration. I almost giggled. It was so him…

"Yes, you will," I countered. We were arguing, like we always had before. Neither of us willing to give in to the other.

Auron sighed, agitated. He pulled me forward, and I soon found myself lip to lip with him. The kiss was less careful than the ones we'd shared before, less brief. It was sweet, slow, and I could feel it throughout my entire body. Even when he pulled away, the sensation lingered on my lips. Slowly, I put a hand up to my mouth, realization sinking in.

_He was back_.

"You….you came back…" I breathed, shocked.

Auron nodded. "The Fayth said that I was needed here."

"…So you won't go away again?" I asked hopefully, my head spinning. I could feel my veins fill with pure energy. I was going to explode again.

"I'm here as long as I'm needed," he answered gruffly, watching my reaction.

I felt my lips pull up in a grin. "Well, then, _Sir Auron_, you're in for a full-time job!! I'll need you 'til the day I die!!" I threw my arms around him, feeling complete for the first time in a long time. Auron was back, and he was mine. He loved me. Me, the annoying little Al Bhed girl from Bikanel.

Excitedly, I grabbed his hand, tugging him toward the village. "Come _on_!! We have to tell the others!!" I laughed, dragging him along with me. He followed unyieldingly, a smile transforming his face.

This was _our_ story. And it was far from over.

**Okay, sorry if it was a little long. I got carried away a little at the end. Oh wellz. ^^ Please review--I love to know opinions, good or bad. Thanks for reading!!**


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